The present invention relates to a reader and system for a noncontact type information storage medium, and more particularly to an improvement on a reader unit of a noncontact card reader capable of providing an easy-to-use user interface for information exchange between a card and the card reader. Such information exchange is performed in an automatic ticket examination system, a room entrance management system or the like through magnetic induction between the card reader and a noncontact IC card such as a noncontact commutation ticket and a noncontact management card.
For information exchange at a check gate of an automatic ticket examination system, a room entrance management system or the like, a radio communication system has been proposed recently in which information exchange is performed between a reader/writer (R/W) and a commutation ticket card, a management card or the like in a noncontact manner. Some of such radio communication systems are now in an experiment stage or under practical use. The systems of this kind are convenient because it is not necessary to make a card contact the surface of an antenna of a reader/writer or enter a slot. Particularly in the automatic ticket examination system, it is possible to shorten a time taken by a commutator to pass through the gate, which relieves congestion and shortens a wait time.
As these commutation tickets and management cards, noncontact IC cards are uses. Although a battery has been conventionally built in a card, a card of another kind has been recently studied or proposed which is supplied with a power via radio waves to transmit/receive data. Noncontact IC cards of the kind whose power is supplied by radio waves include a nearest proximity type (about 0 to 2 mm to the noncontact IC card), a nearer proximity type (about 2 mm to 10 cm) and a near proximity type (about 70 cm or further).
With a card of the nearest proximity type or nearer proximity type, data transmission/reception is performed relative to a reader/writer at a nearest or nearer distance of several millimeters to centimeters. With a card of the near proximity type, data transmission/reception is performed relative to a reader/writer at a near distance of 70 cm or about 1 meter to several meters, to thereby supply/receive data. The frequency of 4.91 MHz or 13.56 MHz for the nearest proximity type and the frequency of 13.56 MHz for the nearer proximity type are now under examination.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional reader/writer of this kind.
Reference numeral 1 represents a reader/writer. A loop antenna 23 is connected via a cable 4 to a main block 2 of the reader/writer. The loop antennal 3 is mounted on the upper plane of an automatic ticket examination gate.
As shown in FIG. 4, the main block 2 of the reader/writer 1 is connected via an interface (IF) 1a to a host computer (not shown) and includes a controller (CNT) 1b, a transmitter circuit 1c and a receiver circuit 1d. The reader/writer 1 includes this main block 2 and loop antenna 3, the latter having a matching circuit 3b and an antenna coil 3a. The antenna 3 is connected via the cable 4 to the transmitter circuit 1c and receiver circuit 1d. 
In the transmission circuit 1c, MOD represents a modulator, and in the receiver circuit 1d, DEC represents a decoder.
As shown in FIG. 5, as a noncontact IC card 7 is approached to the upper region of the antenna 3 of the reader/writer 1 mounted at an upper position of a gate 6 and when it enters a read area 5 formed over the antenna 3, the reader/writer 1 reads data from the noncontact IC card 7. The reader/writer writes data, when necessary, into the noncontact IC card 7.
In data communication of the nearer or near proximity type, if the reader/writer 1 transfers data to and from the noncontact IC card at the distance of about 10 cm, the angle between the IC card and the antenna 3 of the reader/writer 1 poses some issue. Namely, the angle generally tends to shorten the operable distance to the antenna 3.
The noncontact IC card 7 operates upon reception of a power from radio waves transmitted from the reader/writer 1 side. If the main flat plane of the noncontact IC card 7 is in parallel to the propagation direction of radio waves transmitted from the antenna 7, power is hardly supplied. In this case, even if a power is supplied, it is very small so that the intensity of radio waves transmitted from the noncontact IC card 7 to the reader/writer 1 is also very small and the reader/writer 1 cannot receive sufficient radio waves. Even if in the distance range of 10 cm or nearer, a reliably operable distance is actually more shorter than expected because of various use conditions, and cannot be recognized easily by the user. In addition, the user is not supplied with information which ensures that necessary communication was executed correctly. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to confirm whether the necessary communication was executed correctly.
Although an output of the antenna may be raised to expand the communication area, there are restrictions defined by regulations of Radio Law, safety standards for human bodies, and the like. In order to retain secure communication contents, repetitive communications may be required. If such repetitive communications are required, expected effects of such noncontact communication as in automatic ticket examination or the like cannot be realized sufficiently.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems associated with conventional techniques and provide a reader and system for a noncontact type information storage medium, capable of providing an easy-to-use user interface for information exchange between the noncontact type information storage medium and the reader.
In order to achieve the above object of the invention, the reader and system for a noncontact type information storage medium for reading data from the medium via an antenna through magnetic induction or magnetic coupling, has a display device for displaying whether a reception of data transmitted from the medium via the antenna is succeeded or failed or for displaying a communication result with the medium.
By providing the display device for displaying whether a reception of data transmitted from the medium via the antenna is succeeded or failed or for displaying a communication result with the medium, a user can adjust the distance between a reader and a noncontact type information storage medium, while looking at the display means, and can maintain the medium at a proper position relative to the reader or antenna. In addition, a success or failure of communication can be confirmed.
If a liquid crystal display device is used as the display device and the communication result with the medium is displayed by using one of a word, a symbol, a pattern and a text, not only the communication success or failure but also the details of the communication result can be confirmed by a user.
Accordingly, an easy-to-use user interface for noncontact information exchange between a noncontact type information storage medium and a reader can be realized.